Keyed wind instrument



Oct. 20, 1925. 1,557,819

L. M. EVETTE KEYED WIND INSTRUIENT Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

LEON MAURICE EVETTE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SOGIETE EVET TE AND SCH-LETTER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, A COMPANY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

KEYED WIND INSTRUMENT.

Application filed October 24, 1921. Serial No. 510,051.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON MAUmcn Evn'r'rn, citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, Department of the Seine, in France,

5 and having 1?. 0. address 18 Passage du Grand Cerf, in the said city, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Keyed Wind Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to keyed musical wind instruments, such as clarinets, Saxophones, oboes, etc., built on principles which are somewhat similar to the Boehn system of clarinets,

Heretofore the forked E flat B fiat would be given either by means of a perforated plate or by means of a ring having near it a tuning hole; it was impossible on the same instrument to produce. at will C-E flat (Gk-B'fiflt) and Dgflat Eflat (A flat B fiat) with facilit and absolute accuracy.

In, order 0 overcome this inconvenience, I have provided a mechanism which permits of giving with L perfect accuracy the trills C-E flat (G,B flat) Dfiat E fiat (A fiat B flat) and with the same fingering, that is to say, by raising and lowering the middle finger of the left hand.

he invention has for its object to obtain in an instrument as above, and with the ex actitudehoth for the fundamental notes and for the harmonics a rapid and easy slur from the note E flat B flat given by raising the left middle finger (third or ring finger, index and thumb bein lowered) to the notes C sharp G sharp and %-G sounded through the holes situated at intervals of a semi-tone and tone below that covered by the left. ring finger, such slur beinglfacilitated for E fiat C sharp by means of t e automatic elevation in certain circumstances hereinafter explained of the ad situated at an interval of one semi-tonelbelow the hole controlled by the third or rin r pad lying over t Some examples 'e hole emitting C sharp.

of mechanism in accordance with the present invention which mechanism permits of obtaining the desired results, are shown diagrammatically in Figfinger of the left hand such ures 1 to 13. These mechanisms are shown applied to a clarinet, it being understood that the mechanism of all clarinets is not generally the same. The mechanism of Figures 1 and 2 comprises aneccentric, that of Figures 3 and 4 comprises only levers. Figures 5 and 6, and 7, S and 9 show details of these mechanisms separated for clearness of description.

Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 show a modified form of the mechanism indicated in Figure 3.

In claiinets, the hole situated at an interval of one semi-tone below the hole closed by the left hand ring finger is that which emits the fundamental note C sharp and its harmonic Gr sharp. Hitherto this hole in all types of clarinets has been usually, though not always, held blocked by a pad maintained in the down position by a single spring, when the key is in one piece, and by a counter spring which is contrary to the action of the former spring when the key is turned and articulated.

In the mechanism in accordance with the present invention the hole for C sharp is on the contrary held open until the left middle finger closes the hole E flat. \Vhen the hole E fiat is closed, the hole C sharp is closed but may be opened by its key. Mechanism may also be added by which depression of the rings of the right hand fingers inall or some circumstances closes the C sharp pad.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, the mechanism relates to the case where the key of C sharp, G sharp is in one piece and a spring is arranged under the key. The pad of C sharp is indicated at 1 and the key therefor at 2. In Figure 1 of the drawings the mechanism is shown as a developed plan so as to render the description clearer. The pad and the key-are rigidly secured to a spindle 6, Figures 1 and 2, situated in the Etlat. The bridge piece 4 ,Figure 5, allowsof the finger ring 5 actuating the ring 8 and the plate 9'. On the hinge 3 which" is rigid E natural and the with the finger ring is keyed a small eccentric 7, Figures 1 and 2 which can afiect the C shar l by reason of a stop piece 6' llgld with tl e rotatable stem 6 of the key of the pad so as to annul the effect of the sprm of this key by maintainin the pad I'8L1S6( until the ring 5 is depresse In a modified form the mechanism may comprise a lever instead of a 1 such as 7, actuated by the ring oithe middle finger of the left hand which lever would similarly cause the elevationv of the pad of 0 in sharp, G sharp every time that the said ring or plate is raised.

In the second arrangement, Figures, 3, 4, 7 8 and 9, the ad 1 is not rigid with its key 10 but the is mounted separately on an axis 11, which is formedwith a small lever arm 12 rigid with 11,. which acts on the pad supported by a part 12' provided on the upper face of the pad in the exam le shown, but the arm 12 could obvious y be caused toact at any suitable point of the mechanism carrying the pad of C sharp, G sharp. I v

The axis 3 rigid with the disc 5, Figure 3, has fixed to it also a bell crank lever ltigmalled correspondence' or. duplicate alremlpprovided onuetisting clarinets.

bell' crank Ievenis provided with a recess's16, Figure-win which the end of thelever 13engageswhich lever 18 is rigid with the axis 14 and with the pad 1 of C sharp, G sharp. The aforesaid bell crank lever. 15 which is rigid with the axis 3 and the ring 5 and oppositely movable to the latter is lowered each time the disc 5 is raised andin this movement it causes the end. of the lever 18 I20 the recess 16, whichcauses elevation of the pad of C sharp andoompression of a spring under the key 10. Glosing the 5. allows the spring under the'key 10 to cloflethe pad 1 which may, however, be permitted to open by depressingthe key 10, a spring bein arranged under the-pad arm or equivalenfiy The usual means of communication ,of

I the rings otthe bottom part ofrthe body has for its efl'ect:;to the end. of the lever 13-day a pant -ld -(Figures .3 and 9) clliosmg by this meanspthe' pad C, Sharp; G s arp. 'zzaeY- f 3 Figures 10, 11, F12 mid-r13 indicate a'modifiedaform of the mg-arrangement, the samewmferenoe numerals corresponding to like parts in the two amtngnmenmtl "25 In this constructiom-rk'l is an auxiliary arm (Figures 10 and12) situatedon the instrument elther above or below the pad 1, which closes this pad 'arm independently (a week-spnng'tending to-open the pad) andwhieh 1S pivotally disposed on the same axis as (butturning separately from) the hlnge 14 or dasppsedmn any other axis, and which by the action of its cooperating spring which tends to hold the arm down counteracts that of the pad 1 andconsequently maintains the pad in the dbwnif ippfition as long as the ring or disc 5 is itse f mamtained in the down position so that thg 1h crank 15 is'raised. if I In the mechanism above" described the 1;; small arm 17 acts on the upper face of the pad, but it would be easy to cause it to act on anyi sui tahle part of this ad as, for ex- W ample, by a tappet arm near the 'nge or by an othersi-ita leimeans. it;

The key 10 xed to the axis 11 mprisql a small arm rojecting'from the lever 127 one end of w ich is extended below the l 17. When-the pad is lowered, itgisgmlfi-s a ficient in order to ogen thmpadto on the key 10 which y meansof the even, 12" raises the arm 17 independentlg andj," thus freesthe pad 1 which il fld y than; V "2? 'z 'fiif V The details of-construetion set utton? 5 the preceding 3, p if except as re rds the arms I2'Qand B a thiIs midlfih form. I i n t e t ree constructions, scribed when one of the dises oz maintained inthe down? position gyfthm fingers of the right handi gmflaeg mi finger of the lfif hand; 1 @8891 to the o -0 C p, G A ts-09 m as the aetiontof all ofthegelfipgers immr moved fronsthe'mechan' dlmted the pad oi C'Bharp, G

This modification; in the the instrument P rmits-eta lating the middle fmger of the. I e er k p ng p n athe s, finger by."

the pad 0, G or with the g: ni-t left hand keepingo aeri iil ti n? yielding 1n the former casmCs-F flat, G-m b ;.E

flat, in theseeond ease fi flatdfiflat and the harmorylcs A B at int atw Mm respectively i a -h nsis s a F G- V I1. r' j 11 r 5 rtrxfiii This resultwhiclihoretofore isinotjeund in any one instrument permits? soundi a the E fiat pitch on clarinetst'hpte emit by the hole-macovered by the raised middle; fi g th q h fi s &8 ead b e m iwithe md i a" ehe asfiz E sharp raised, (note situated; .a, semitone] lower thamthe hole for thering finger the left hand).' '2 e ,1

The efiect obtai ed in elannets by, of the aforesaid mechanismw vhieh I: pad of'C sharp G sharp at! as that of forked F rfiat p y, s ia's?! departing from the nature of the invention.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An improvement in keyed wind musical instruments, such as clarinets and the like, comprising a normally raised pad for C sharp (3r sharp opening, a normally raised ring for the forked E flat forked B flat opening, and means connecting the pad and ring to cause the said pad to close its opening when said ring is depressed.

2. An improvement in keyed wind musical instruments, such as clarinets and the like, comprising a normally raised pad for C sharp G sharp opening, a normally raised ring for the forked E fiat forked B flat opening, means connecting the pad and ring to cause the said pad to close its opening when said ring is depressed, and a key for independently raising said pad when said ring is depressed.

3. An in'iprovement in keyed Wind musical instruments, such as clarinets and the like, comprising a normally raised pad for C sharp G sharp opening, a normally raised ring for the forked E fiat forked B fiat opening, means connecting the pad and ring to cause the said pad to close its opening when said ring is depressed, and means connecting said pad with the rings operated by the fingers of the right hand to depress said pad when any of said rings for the right hand is depressed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEON MAURICE EVETTE. 

